Musicians Of Queens: Side Saddle

Ian McGuiness records his music under the name Side Saddle, initially a side project he started from his band This Old Ghost. The folk singer/songwriter lived and worked on a farm while writing his upcoming EP, so the name fit its creation well.

Side Saddle’s music also follows this narrative of working on a farm, as the upbeat folk music seems made for
walking through nature on a beautiful spring day. McGuiness’ infectious melodies on songs like “Don’t Wait For
Him” get stuck in your head with ease. The main focus is on his rhythmic guitar and smooth vocals, though there are touches of other instruments in the background.

A music career as folk guitarist did not seem to be in the cards at first for McGuiness. As a kid, he played the drums for a little, stopping and then starting again when he put together a band in his freshman year of high school.

“I went on to play drums in a few bands in high-school and in my senior year, I started singing a little bit,” he said. “I fell in love with singing. Then I picked up a few chords from the guitarist in my band at the time and from there, I started writing songs.”

When he was living in Los Angeles a few years ago, McGuiness wrote a song called “This Lifeboat is for Gold, Not
People.” This experience gave him the confidence to pursue a career in music.

His first record as Side Saddle, “The Postcard EP,” will be released on March 25 through major retailers, like Amazon. The four-song piece was recorded with McGuiness’ friend, producer/engineer TJ Dumser. McGuiness said the process of putting this EP together was very easy and fun.

“It was a super relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We had a great time building the songs together, trying to
give each song the treatment it deserved,” he said. “The songs came together relatively quickly and were written during some highly emotionally charged moments.”

Besides “Don’t Wait For Him,” the EP will feature “When It’s All Done,” “Reverie” and “On the Road in a Storm.”
McGuiness is based in Astoria, a neighborhood he said was inspiring and exciting to live in. He said he discovered
that people in Astoria had a great pride for their community. It is also beneficial space for musicians to find themselves in, he said.

“It’s a really supportive and nourishing place for artists. There are studios, rehearsal spaces and venues at your
disposal,” McGuiness said. “As you can imagine, I’m very much looking forward to spring and summer in Astoria and the kind of songs that will come out of my experiences here.”

You can find out more about Side Saddle’s upcoming release as well as any future tour dates or news by visiting
http://sidesaddlemusic.tumblr.com and www.facebook.com/thisissidesaddle.